NEW DELHI: Expressing concerns over deaths of Indian students abroad, Congress leader K C Venugopal in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday asked the government to probe if there were any "hate crime" angle to the incidents.
Raising a "matter of serious concern" during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Venugopal said that according to recent information shared by the External Affairs Minister in the Lok Sabha, a staggering 403 Indian students have lost their lives in foreign countries since 2018.
"Sir (Chair), this is not a number...families devastated, dreams shattered and futures extinguished," he said.
Citing the information provided by the minister, Venugopal said Canada topped the list with 91 incidents, followed by the United Kingdom with the 48 cases. In the United States alone four Indian or Indian-origin students lost their lives in January this year.
"This number demands our immediate attention and collective efforts to ensure the safety of Indian students those who are studying abroad. We must ask whether some of these cases in fact (are) hate crimes. I urge the government to conduct a thorough investigation into each case to determine if hate crimes are a contributing factor. It is essential to address the root causes of this rise in violence. We cannot ignore the pain of the families who have lost their loved ones. As a nation, we have a responsibility to protect our students to give them the opportunity to learn and grow in a secure environment. The government must engage in robust diplomatic efforts with the countries where our students are studying," Venugopal said.
The Congress leader also made a case for establishing a comprehensive records system to accurately track and report incidents involving Indian students overseas.
In his Zero Hour submission, Sasmit Patra (BJD) asked the government to consider inclusion of "Ahimsa" or non-violence in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution as requested by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
He further said the Odisha Assembly too has passed a resolution in this regard.
BJP MP Ashok Bajpai asked the government to bring a law to take action against people who denigrate Hindu culture and gods.
